FATF white-listing: India ‘irresponsible’, Pakistan a role model country: Hina Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Immediately after Minister of State, Ms Hina Rabbani Khar called out India’s role in the FATF plenary meetings in Paris on Friday, and called it an “irresponsible country”, the Spokesman at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, issued a response as Pakistan got white-listed.

“As a result of FATF scrutiny, Pakistan has been forced to take some action against well-known terrorists, including those involved in attacks against the entire international community in Mumbai on 26/11”, he said without welcoming and acknowledging that Pakistan had been removed from the FATF grey list.

“The world should remain clear that Pakistan must continue to take “credible, verifiable and irreversible” action against terrorism, he said, adding, “It is in global interest that the world remains clear that Pakistan must continue to take credible, verifiable, irreversible and sustained action against terrorism and terrorist financing emanating from territories under its control.” He pointed out that Pakistan will continue to work with the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) to further improve its Anti Money Laundering (AML) or Counter Terror Financing (CFT) system.

Ms Khar had in a press conference through a video link from Pakistan’s Embassy in Paris said, “Every single country including the United States supported us. Only India, an irresponsible country, opposed us and to their disappointment could not politicize the process”. Pakistan, she said, despite the role India had played, would now become a role model for the world.

“ I have already directed my team to start exploring ways in which we can enhance our cooperation and partnership with FATF and the wider international community, especially on the issue of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)”, she said.